Yahoo News Universally Manchester Festival: Well-known line-up revealed in celebration of University's 200th anniversary
The University of Manchester has unveiled its lineup for the upcoming Universally Manchester Festival in celebration of the institution's 200th birthday.
With over 150 free events spanning four days (Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 June 2024) the festival promises a grand celebration with immersive events and featuring contributions from Professor Brian Cox, Professor David Olusoga, Ed O’Brien (Radiohead), international supergroup GRRRL directed by Laima Leyton and many more. The festival will welcome up to 60,000 people hosted at the university’s Oxford Road Campus.
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Among the luminaries headlining the festival includes intellectual heavyweights like Professor Michael Wood and Dr. Sarah Crowther (member of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team), immunologist Professor Sheena Cruikshank, exonerated postmaster Tom Hedges offering insights into culture, history, and scientific exploration.
The festival's opening night promises a mesmerising fusion of music and history, with a special collaboration between Universally Manchester and the Whitworth Art Gallery. This free event is open to all and includes everything from a world premiere of new music inspired by Manchester’s history of broadside ballads performed by members of the BBC Philharmonic, to an audio visual experience, celebrating the legacies of Manchester computing genius Alan Turing and music pioneer Delia Derbyshire.
Throughout the festival, attendees can engage in stimulating discussions on topics ranging from far-away galaxies, alien worlds and latest theories of origins of the universe with Professor Brian Cox to cultural narratives in media and the science behind the immune system.
TEDx speaker Professor Sheena Cruickshank will debunk myths surrounding "immune-boosting” products, while Earth scientist Dr. Sarah Crowther will share the secrets of the asteroid Bennu and NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission.
A Guardian Live event, led by Professor David Olusoga, Cotton Capital: Slavery and The University of Manchester will explore how transatlantic slavery shaped The University of Manchester.
The Whitworth will present The Carnival, a celebration of art, culture and Manchester’s dynamic community through live performances, interactive workshops, delicious street food and live music.
This will be brought to life with a performance from GRRRL, an international supergroup brought together by In Place of War and directed by Brazil’s Laima Leyton (Mixhell / Soulwax). Featuring women of colour from international conflict zones, GRRRL express themselves on their terms, in their languages, with their stories.
Further musical performances come from Kantos Choir, a trailblazing vocal ensemble, who perform music by everyone from 11th Century visionary saints to genre-bending, experimental rock stars, Grammy-winning multi-percussionist, educator, arranger, and composer Carlos "Carly" Maldonado, and Senegalese afrobeat musician Sens Sagna.
There will be a whole host of family-friendly events including a Community Fair taking place across Engineering Building A, University Place and AMBS, full of interactive activities from screen printing tote bags, clay making and face painting, and sporting challenges.
A visually stunning Flash Bang Show, for kids and adults, will demonstrate the explosive power of chemistry, from basic knowledge about atoms and molecules to the innovative research produced at The University of Manchester.
The festival will close with a Celebration Day in partnership with Manchester Histories Festival 2024 which will see over 50 stalls take over the historic Whitworth Hall.
With support from partners including BBC Philharmonic, Factory International, the Guardian, In Place of War, Manchester Histories Festival and many others, Universally Manchester Festival will be taking over Manchester Museum, The Whitworth, University of Manchester Students’ Union, and creating pop-up stages on Gilbert Square.
The Festival Village on Bridgeford Street, in collaboration with Pop Up Market Co., will showcase Manchester's finest independent artisans, makers, performers and businesses.
Universally Manchester Festival will run from Thursday 6 - Sunday 9 June 2024. Free ticketed events will be available to book from Thursday 9 May, with early access available for those that sign up for information here.
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